Preposizioni semplici ed articolate
What is a preposition?
A preposition is a part of speech that works as connector between two elements of the sentence (generally two nouns or pronouns), in order to provide qualifying details about the relationship that connect them.
For example, in the sentence “the pencil is on the table”, the preposition here doesn’t connect the words in a one+one relation – that’s a conjunction (e.g. Mark and Juliet are studying). Instead, a preposition adds some information regarding the relationship between the two elements that it connects. In this specific case it tells you where the pencil is in relation to the table: “the pencil is on the table’.
Prepositions are used both in English and Italian to express time, location, destination, possession, association, material constitution and manner.
The preposition often occurs right before a noun or a pronoun; with prepositional phrase we refer to the connecting preposition plus the words that go after it.
Prepositions in Italian
While the prepositions in English are just in, on, with, to, of and from, in Italian there are two different categories of prepositions: the preposizioni semplici (simple prepositions), that stand on their own and the preposizioni articolate (articulated prepositions), combined with the definite article (il, lo, la, l’, i, gli, le) that accompanies the noun that follows.
Preposizioni semplici (Simple prepositions)
The most common preposizioni semplici – and their most common meanings are:
Di – Of
A – To, at, in
Da – From, by, since
In – In, to
Con – With
Su – On, on top of
Per – For
Tra / Fra – Between / among
Bear in mind that Italian prepositions also have many idiomatic uses that, just like the idiomatic expressions in English, are best learned by memorisation and with time and practice.
Examples:
Mangio da solo. // I eat by myself.
Questi bicchieri sono dipinti a mano. //These glasses are painted by hand.
Vado in treno. //I go by train.
Domani andiamo da Andrea. // Tomorrow we’re going to Andrea’s.
Moreover, several Italian verbs require to be followed by a specific preposition, such as:
Avere bisogno di – To need
Avere voglia di – To feel like/ want / crave
Parlare di – To talk about
Pensare a – To think about
Credere in/a – To believe in
Decidere di – To decide to
Preposizioni articolate (Articulated Prepositions)
As already mentioned, the Italian preposizioni are called articolate when combined to form single words with the definite articles that accompany the nouns that they refer to. The prepositions and the definite articles combine as follows:
A – Al all’ allo alla ai agli alle
DI – Del dell’ dello della dei degli delle
DA – Dal dall’ dallo dalla dai dagli dalle
IN – Nel nell’ nello nella nei negli nelle
SU – Sul sull’ sullo sulla sui sugli sulle
As you can see, some of these contractions require dropping or adding a vowel, the apostrophe is used in front of words starting with a vowel (e.g. all’angolo / sull’albero).
Examples:
Vado a + il cinema à Vado al cinema. // I go to the cinema.
Questa è la macchina di+le mie amiche. // Questa è la macchina delle mie amiche. // This is my friends’ car.
Marco è appena tornato da+la sua vacanza. à Marco è appena tornato dalla sua vacanza. // Marco just came back from his holidays.
Il cappotto è in + il armadio à Il cappotto è nell’armadio. // The coat is in the wardrobe.
Il gatto è su+il tetto. à Il gatto è sul tetto. // The cat is on the roof.
Per and tra / fra never combine with the definite article. Con used to be articulated in the past; nowadays you may come across it in literature or in informal conversation in some specific Italian regions.
In some specific cases the preposition doesn’t combine with the article.
For example:
Vado a casa. // I go home.
When in is used with common places (e.g. bank, library, church, etc.), the preposizione becomes articolata only if in the sentence there is also a specification or description of the place.
For example:
Studiamo in biblioteca. // We study in the library.
Studiamo nella biblioteca principale. // We study in the main library.
Vado in chiesa. // I go to church.
Vado nella banca di mio marito. // I go to my husband’s bank.
The article is also missing when the preposition goes right before a possessive adjective used with singular family members.
For example:
Questa è la macchina di mia madre. // This is my mum’s car.
Domani vado da mio fratello. // Tomorrow I go to my brother’s.
Italian prepositional expressions
Here below a list of common prepositional expressions – some of them are made combining other words with di and a (that will become articulated as before if followed by definite article + noun).
durante – During
invece di – Instead of
insieme a – Together with
davanti a – In front of
in cima a – At the top of
in mezzo a – In the middle of
attorno a – Around
in fondo a – At the bottom of
rispetto a – With respect to
vicino a – Near to
fino a – Until
prima di – Before
a causa di – Until
fuori di – Outside
The challenge
Italian prepositions, just like many other grammar elements of the Italian language, at the beginning can be a bit hard to recognise and understand. When studying Italian you just need to be a little patient: with good practice and time, you will get more and more comfortable and start to confidently use all these odd grammar elements – and even appreciate them for contributing in making Italian such a rich, melodic and lovely language to listen to!
Now that you have learnt a little bit more about the prepositions in Italian, what about testing yourself with a little challenge? Below you can find the recipe of polpette al sugo e fritte, a delicious Italian comfort food.
Close your eyes and imagine: it is Sunday morning and you wake up with this sweet smell invading the whole house. You go to the kitchen and there she is, an Italian granny making polpette for you!
Well, if you are not in the position to expect to find an Italian granny cooking in your kitchen, I guess there is only a solution: embrace your inner Italian granny and make this lovely food for your family and friends!
Polpette are super easy to make and so, so tasty: believe me, you will conquer their heart – and their stomach!
First, read the text twice and then underline or highlight all the prepositions that you can find, and then check against the key solution. Now it is time for you to cook!
The recipe
Polpette al sugo e fritte
Ricetta per 20 polpette
Ingredienti
500 g polpa mista di maiale macinata
500 g salsa di pomodoro
200 g pane vecchio senza crosta
50 g prezzemolo tritato
50 g prosciutto crudo
2 uova intere
1 spicchio di aglio tritato
1 cipolla grande tritata
Parmigiano Reggiano Dop
farina 00
latte
olio extravergine di oliva
olio di arachide
sale
pepe
Ammorbidite il pane in 150 g di acqua e 150 g di latte.
Impastatelo con la polpa di maiale, le uova, l’aglio, la cipolla, il prezzemolo e
2 cucchiai di parmigiano, pepe.
Lavorate il composto finché gli ingredienti non saranno ben amalgamati.
Formate le polpette con metà del composto, infarinatele leggermente, appoggiatele sulla placca coperta con carta da forno, ungetele con un filo di olio extravergine e infornatele a 210 °C per 7-8 minuti. Sfornatele e terminate la cottura nella salsa di pomodoro bollente, per altri 10 minuti.
Unite all’impasto restante il prosciutto tritato e altri 2 cucchiai di parmigiano. Formate polpettine leggermente schiacciate e friggetele nell’olio di arachidi per 7-8 minuti. Scolatele su carta da cucina e salatele.
Key solution
Polpette al sugo e fritte
Ricetta per 20 polpette
Ingredienti
500 g polpa mista di maiale macinata
500 g salsa di pomodoro
200 g pane vecchio senza crosta
50 g prezzemolo tritato
50 g prosciutto crudo
2 uova intere
1 spicchio di aglio tritato
1 cipolla grande tritata
Parmigiano Reggiano Dop
farina 00
latte
olio extravergine di oliva
olio di arachide
sale
pepe
Ammorbidite il pane in 150 g di acqua e 150 g di latte.
Impastatelo con la polpa di maiale, le uova, l’aglio, la cipolla, il prezzemolo e 2 cucchiai di parmigiano, pepe.
Lavorate il composto finché gli ingredienti non saranno ben amalgamate.
Formate le polpette con metà del composto, infarinatele leggermente, appoggiatele sulla placca coperta con carta da forno, ungetele con un filo di olio extravergine e infornatele a 210 °C per 7-8 minuti. Sfornatele e terminate la cottura nella salsa di pomodoro bollente, per altri 10 minuti.
Unite all’impasto restante il prosciutto tritato e altri 2 cucchiai di parmigiano. Formate polpettine leggermente schiacciate e friggetele nell’olio di arachidi per 7-8 minuti. Scolatele su carta da cucina e salatele.
Buon appetito!
Interested in learning Italian and improve your cooking skills?
Subscribe to my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaVwBqct6-Tb1swX4s_9-1A and learn the basics of Italian and how to make authentic Italian meatballs in tomato sauce, pizza, ciambellone (Grandma’s cake) and much more!
Grazie mille!
Raffaella
